Immigrants play a major role in the economy. According to a 2022 paper co-authored by researchers at MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University and the U.S. Census Bureau, immigrants are 80-percent more likely to start a business than individuals born in the United States. To put that statistic into perspective, we talked with small business owner and photographer Augustine Nyonzima in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Nyonzima and his family moved to the U.S. in 2007 from Burundi, East Africa. He started his photography business in 2014, but lately, it’s been a challenge to find new clients.

“I think after COVID a lot of things changed, especially for small business owners,” said Nyonzima. Despite these challenges, he’s has found creative ways to attracted new clientele to try to grow his business.

To hear the rest of Nyonzima’s story, use the media player above.